Historically, space has been a premium in libraries, as collections continued to grow and fill up the stacks. This has been the case for Rodgers Library, too, at least until recently. What’s changed? First, the UA Libraries opened an off-campus storage building (the Annex) a few years ago. This allowed for transfer of pre-1980 bound journals and some older books to the storage facility. Electronic publishing, a more recent development, has helped the situation as well. Journal issues arriving by the thousands each year have stopped coming. In their place, Rodgers Library receives electronic journals. Hence, the space crisis has disappeared, fortunately. With “space recovery” come new opportunities. Rodgers library is considering repurposing newly available space at this time. This will benefit services aimed at the public, such as more reader tables and more group study areas. Library patrons should watch for changes in space utilization in the coming months.
Exciting New Open-Access Journal
AIP Advances, a new open access journal featuring original, peer-reviewed, research in the applied physical sciences is off to a good start. Published in online format only, the journal uses an author-pay model to help with expenses of publication. According the journal’s Web site, “Authors publishing manuscripts in AIP Advances retain copyright and grant the publisher a license to publish under a Creative Commons agreement.” This new publication is evidence of experimentation with new ways to disseminate scholarly information. This is a highly innovative journal, as it permits rapid and low cost publication and quick dissemination of research findings. It is published by the American Institute of Physics. Take AIP Advances for a test drive.
Reference Books Galore – Many Hardcopy
E-books are a very popular for finding reference information. Major collections, covering a wide selection of subjects, are available from the Rodgers Library Web site. Users should remember, too, that Rodgers Library has over 11,000 reference books in hardcopy. Many of these hardcopy volumes are recent purchases and have current information. In addition, the Reference Collection contains much archival material. The older books are still very useful for teaching and research and should not be overlooked. Some archival titles do not have electronic counterparts. The Reference Collection is located on shelving near the Reference Desk on the 1st floor. For browsing, users can find science books in “Q” sections, engineering books in “T” sections, and nursing books in “R” sections. Enjoy!
LibGuides – Pathways to Library Resources
LibGuides are compiled by librarians and are posted on Rodgers Library Web site under Subject Guides. The LibGuides provide our students and faculty with easy access to the library’s facilities, collections, and services. Useful selected resources and research assistance are included in these web-based LibGuides. The LibGuides also incorporate Web 2.0 tools such as Twitter, RSS feeds, and interactive polls. This content sharing system acts as a portal to specific subjects and each LibGuide is frequently updated and revised. Check out Libguides on subjects such as Astronomy, Civil Engineering, Nursing and more on our website.
Useful Links: http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/sel/
http://www.lib.ua.edu/libraries/sel/subjguides/index.htm
2010 Book Collecting Contest a Success
When the UA Libraries held its first book collecting contest in 2006, more than forty students entered the competition. At the time, some wondered whether enthusiasm for book collecting would endure in future years. Wouldn’t proliferation of digital media cause students to forget about or dismiss the wonder and beauty of books?
That many students entered the University Libraries 4th annual book collecting contest suggests a different outcome. Indeed, UA students still love books and many are aspiring book collectors, ready to engage in collecting over the long run. Our students still understand the unique and special way that books bring meaning to all aspects of culture and society. And, as with book collectors everywhere, they appreciate books as objects of art.
On April 14, 2010, six contest winners were formally recognized in a special reception in Gorgas Library, when Mille Jackson, Associate Dean for Collections, announced with much anticipation the names of the contest winners.
Chinese, Hindi, and Japanese classes Offered at Rodgers Library
About 835 international students from the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and other regions around the world attend UA. From my experience, most of these students speak English reasonably well. But most library personnel and academic faculty in other departments are not familiar with the critical foreign languages spoken by these students. During normal operations, staff talk to international students on a regular basis. The conversation is fully in English. Dialog in English is generally satisfactory for describing academic programs and services. However, communication with international students would be better and improve if our staff had some ability to reciprocate by speaking to the students in their native languages. As a way to “build bridges” to our international students Rodgers Library is offering elementary conversational Chinese, Hindi and Japanese classes for faculty and staff in our science, engineering, and nursing departments and also for faculty and staff in the University Libraries. Native language speakers will teach the classes. The classes promise to be educational and enjoyable for all.
SciFinder Goes Web
Over the past few years Rodgers Library has offered two ways to access SciFinder (our popular chemistry database): a client version loaded on local desktops and a Web version. CAS likes the Web version and we do too. So beginning in the fall of 2010, Rodgers Library will discontinue support for the client version. SciFinder Web is wonderful. Our chemistry LibGuide describes the new access. Enjoy! http://bit.ly/aihR2D
New Digital Frame
Rodgers Library installed a new digital frame this summer. It’s located on the 1st floor, directly in front of the Reference Desk. The frame has a widescreen diagonal measurement of 19 inches. It displays stunning videos and crisp images. Rodgers is using the frame to highlight services provided by the library. Currently the frame features calculator checkouts, Interlibrary Loan requests, and the Annex to name a few. In addition, the frame has ‘How To’ guides detailing services. For example, locating new books in the online catalog and finding course reserves for classes. Rodgers digital frame is an awesome way to inform and connect with our students. Students are able to quickly and easily learn more about what the library has to offer. Take a look!
Academic Software Available in Rodgers
Rodgers Library offers a variety of specialized software on its computers. In addition to the normal suite of library and productivity software, several desktop computers are loaded with Maple, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, ChemBioOffice, MATLAB, Minitab, CHEMCAD, and Microsoft Visual Studio. The academic software is installed on several machines on the 1st floor in an area called “SciTech Software Lab.” And four Dell machines, loaded with academic software, are located on the 2nd floor. Departmental computer labs are still the best option for working on academic computing projects. But with Rodgers Library open more hours than departmental computer labs, students now have a choice of where to go when a class project requries use of specialized software.
iPad is Way Cool!
Are libraries ready for the iPad? Or put another way, will library patrons decide that the iPad is a nice alternative to laptops and desktops for finding and using information? If capabilities and glitz of the iPad are any indication, then librarians take notice. Browsing the Web with Safari is an awesome experience with the iPad. Web pages and e-journal articles look amazing on the tablet-sized screen. And e-books are in the mix on the iPad. With superior connectivity, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G (depending on the model), the iPad gives students convenient and speedy access to content offered by the UA libraries. At only 1.5 pounds and small in size, the iPad makes a nice companion for students. When the goal is consuming information, students will likely go for this device over a laptop. The iPad is going to make using the library a snap and at the same time a pleasurable experience. This is a transformative device for libraries and their users! Now if students can just find the dough to buy one!
Rodgers Library Sponsors Lecture on Himalayas
Mr. Michael Huebner, a journalist for the Birmingham News, will visit UA on March 31 to present a lecture on “The Himalayas: Tourism, Politics and Cultural Change on Top of the World.” Mr. Huebner’s presentation will focus on Nepal , Sikkim in northeast India, Ladakh in northwest India, and the kingdom of Bhutan. His talk will highlight the dramatic cultural and political transformations in Nepal and Bhutan, since 1996. He will also discuss why Ladakh, despite being part of the volatile Jammu-Kashmir state of northwest India, has remained relatively stable. Mr. Huebner will explain the persistence of ancient cultures and religions in these areas. In addition, he will tell how tourism and mass communication have impacted the social fabric and environment of the world’s most beautiful and pristine region. Mr. Huebner’s lecture is at 7:00 pm on March 31, 2010 in Room 1092 in Shelby Hall on the campus of The University of Alabama. The presentation is open to all UA faculty, students, and staff, as well as the greater Tuscaloosa community. Michael Huebner is a classical music and dance critic and fine arts writer for the Birmingham News. He also writes about world cultures and travel. This program is sponsored by the University Libraries and the Department of Geography. Contact: John Sandy, Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering, 348-2111.
AccessMedicine Helps Health Professionals
AccessMedicine is an innovative online resource that provides students, residents, clinicians, researchers, and other health professionals with access to more than 60 medical titles from the best minds in medicine. The database includes updated content, thousands of images and illustrations, interactive self-assessment, case files, and diagnostic tools. AccessMedicine provides a comprehensive search platform and enables users to download content to a mobile device. Available by remote access too.
UA Libraries Sponsor Book Collecting Contest
Do you love books? Are you a book collector? If so, you are invited to enter the UA Libraries 2010 Book Collecting Contest. Cash prizes will be awarded to contest winners. Deadline for entries is March 31, 2010. For contest rules and an entry form, consult our Web site. Collections of contest winners will be featured in a display in Gorgas Library for six weeks after the contest ends. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to showcase your collection. The entire UA community will enjoy!
More E-Books on the Way
Publishers are offering more e-books for sale. Rodgers Library has responded by ordering major collections of science and engineering e-books from Springer and Elsevier for 2010. As soon as Springer and Elsevier release the e-books, titles will show up in SpringerLink and ScienceDirect. All new e-books purchased by Rodgers Library are also listed in the UA Libraries online catalog. So access to e-books is easy and direct. Quick links to our e-book publishers are on our Web site. Enjoy!
Discover Oil and Gas Pubs With OnePetro
Beginning in 2010, UA students and faculty have access to OnePetro. This major database with over 80,000 publications covers oil and gas exploration and the oil and gas industry. Classic papers from the API Drilling and Production Practices and Secondary Recovery of Oil in the United States are included. Meeting papers and journal articles from the Society of Petroleum Engineers, more than 50,000 documents, some from as far back as 1927, are included too. The database features search and full-text downloads. OnePetro is an amazing resource for teaching and research.
Social Media Arrive
How we communicate with users is changing. E-mail, once a favorite tool to stay in touch, is losing ground to Blogger, Facebook, Flickr, Delicious, Twitter, and other social media. Always ready to try newer technologies, Rodgers Library has joined the rush to use social media.
Social media are about sharing and interaction – possibilities abound. Social bookmarking with Delicious improves instruction and research and can enhance professional development. Students in a biology class may choose to bookmark references and share access to common reading lists, for example. For other students, Flickr offers an effective way to share photos depicting research activities with classmates.
During the summer, Rodgers Library introduced its first blog, called R-Lib. With R-Lib, we introduce new and popular resources, as well as changes in services, to faculty and others. Since the blog is “interactive,” faculty are welcome to post and comment on the blog.
By fall, Rodgers Library was ready to roll out Twitter, another popular social media tool. The goal with Twitter is to reach out to undergraduate students. In real-time, “tweets” are posted on the Twitter site for the whole community to see and read. Are seats open this week during late night 24/5 hours? Well, yes, says a new post on the library’s Twitter page.
Social media are easy to access. Students at UA find a link to Rodgers Library’s social media from the library’s homepage. More creative students get the same content using a media feed directed to a personal laptop or smart phone.
Visit Rodgers Library’s general guide.
Springer offers MyCopy Service
Rodgers Library has purchased thousands of e-books from Springer. You can find/search these books on the Springer platform at SpringerLink.com
While using SpringerLink, you can view and download content as you choose. This service is free. The books are paid for. The Springer e-books that we purchased are a part of the University Libraries’ permanent collections. And the e-books are listed in the Libraries’ catalog.
Springer offers another way to capture a hardcopy version of a book, with a service called MyCopy. When viewing a book online in SpringerLink, you can click on a link to “Buy a Print Copy of this Book.” Next add the book to your shopping cart. Should you move forward, you’ll be asked to complete your purchase using a credit card (your personal credit card).
By this action, you will buy a nice paperback copy of the book. Springer will send the book to your business or home address.
New Discovery Interface Launches
The University Libraries lunched a new discovery interface this week. The interface, called DiscoverySearch, is based on a piece of software from AquaBrowser a leading vendor in the library marketplace. DiscoverySearch looks deceptively simple, but it offers a very powerful way to find and access books and other materials listed in the University Libraries’ catalog. The beauty of DiscoverySearch derives from faceted searching. Following a keyword search, often a huge number of items display. With DiscoverySearch, the search results can easily be refined. For example, if a search on engineering mechanics pulls up one-hundred books but you just want electronic books, a click on a facet labelled electronic books changes the results to e-format only. Other facets such as date, topic, series, and author work in much the same way. A word cloud on the left side of the screen helps you locate other related materials that may be of interest. It’s very nice and will improve your productivity. http://ab.lib.ua-net.ua.edu/
Mobile Web Arrives
Did you know that you can access e-journal content licensed by Rodgers Library over the Mobile Web? The iPod Touch (from Apple) is ideal for this purpose. The iPod Touch, using Wi-Fi, easily connects to the Internet. Get productive, go Mobile!
Kindle Readers Ready Monday
A new service featuring Kindle e-book readers (from Amazon.com) is set to launch on November 2. Rodgers Library will circulate Kindles preloaded with a selection of popular reading on a broad range of science, engineering, and nursing topics, plus a few titles of general interest.
Kindle and Kindle DX units will be available for check-out. Kindle units and the titles they contain are listed in the Libraries’ catalog.
• Currently limited to faculty, staff, and students
• Available for check-out from the Circulation Desk
• 2 week check-out period
• No renewals
Look: http://www.kindle.com. Enjoy!